How many times have you diagnosed based on current symptoms only to find out months later a huge piece of information was left out of the story?
It’s more common than not and it’s I think par for the course as we assess and get to know our clients. It takes time. But, this article from the NIMH reminds me how important not only a good assessment can be but also to remain open minded: Symptoms may be related to issues outside the scope of environment and self-esteem. What’s fascinating (per this study) is that symptoms may not appear for up to 6 months. This creates a long and winding road to link a mild TBI to depression or PTSD.
While you explore current issues and developmental markers don’t forget about the recent past: Questions like did anything significant happen to you in the past 6 months to a year? Are there things that happened that you don’t believe are related to your current depression, anxiety, trauma (fill in the symptom). Simple questions can yield greater client/therapist insight and more productive treatment.
